Well drilling equipment



Jan. 13, 1948. J. H. SCHREIBER ,3

WELL DRILLING EQUIPMENT Filed Feb. 13, 1946 40 4/ 44 46 37 43 59 43 I-INVENTOR:

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Patented Jan. 13, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL DRILLING EQUIPMENT John H. Schreiber, St. Louis, Mo. Application February 13, 1946, Serial No. 47,322

Claims. 1

This invention relates to'improvements in well drilling equipment, and more particularly to means for controlling the jerk line connection and release from the cathead or jerk line drum.

In my copending application, Serial No. 569,762, filed December 26, 1944, I have disclosed the general type of cathead with which the present jerk line control device is associated.

Generally, that construction includes a conventional cathead housing attached to a standard drawwork frame. An adapter sleeve is designed to be attached to the rotary drawwork line shaft, which is normally constantly driven from the prime mover of the drawworks. A cathead drum is mounted on the adapter sleeve and is driven thereby. The cathead drum is constructed so that a coupler shoe attached to the end of the jerk line may be engaged with and disengaged from the periphery of the drum.

The means for moving the jerk line shoe radially to and from the periphery of the cathead drum comprises a pivoted sleeve through which the jerk line extends in such a manner that the jerk line shoe extends inwardly from the open inner end of the sleeve. When the pivoted sleeve is rocked, it serves to move the jerk line shoe toward and away from the periphery of the cathead drum in such a position as to be engaged by engaging members on the cathead drum, and to be disengaged therefrom at predetermined points in the cycle of rotation of the drum. The means for disengaging the shoe from the cathead drum operates automatically, incident to the rotary movement of the drum, through a predetermined arc of travel from the point of engagement of the jerk line shoe with the cathead drum to a point of disengagement.

In my prior disclosure, the pivoted sleeve for moving the jerk line shoe toward and away from the periphery of the cathead drum, to engage and disengage the same therewith, is by manual application of force to a lever arm, which rocks the pivoted sleeve which serves as the carrier for the jerk line and shoe.

The present invention is concerned with pro-.

viding improved means for controlling the move-- may be operated without interference; and to generally simplify a control of this type, which may be incorporated with standard or conventional types of catheads.

Specificadvantages of the invention willa-ppear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the cathead partially in section; and

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, part of the structure being broken away to more clearly illustrate the essential parts of the invention.

1 have selected, for illustrative purposes, the type of cathead substantially as shown in the aforementioned copending application.

In the present drawing, ll! indicates the cathead housing which, in the manner fully disclosed in my copending application, is formedwith an internal hub section that is mounted upon the adapter sleeve keyed to the drawworks shaft H, so that the cathead drum may be revolubly driven thereby.

While the cathead spool I2 is no part of the present invention, it is indicated on the drawing in order to more clearly illustrate the relationship of the parts of the invention later to be described. It will be understood that the cathead spool i2 is connected with the front face of the cathead drum, in the manner illustrated in my copending application, and is revoluble therewith for certain drilling operations disconnected from the purpose of the present invention.

It will be understood that, because of the fact that the housing I0 is mounted on the adapter, it will have relative rotary movement in respect thereof, but is held against revolution by 2. lug 43 that extends outwardly from the periphery of. the cylindrical part thereof, which lug contacts with an abutment It in the form of a rod or barthat extends from a stationary part of the frame of the drawworks housing, said abutment mem her being disposed parallel to the axis of the cathead and the spool, and, in order to give it rigidity and so that it will resist the tendency of the housing IE! to revolve, it may be reenforced bystruts 15.

It will be further understood, by reference to my copending application, that the cathead drum has a hub section spaced from but connected with the revoluble adapter member, so that the constantly driven drawworks shaft, the adapter, and the drum of the cathead may be constantly rotated.

The peripheral'surface it; of the cathead drum is. formed with a slotthrough its wall, forming;

the open space I 1. Extending radially outwardly from each edge of the peripheral cylindrical surface I6 are side flanges l8, and intermediate the extent of the open space H, and extending laterally thereto near the inner faces of the flanges l8, are a pair of cylindrically-shaped jerk line shoe engaging members in the form of removable pins 19. The arrangement of the slot l1 and the pins [9 is such that the jerk line shoe, when moved to the periphery of the drum, will engage with said pins [9 and a part of the shoe will extend through the slot H. The jerk line shoe is disengaged from the pins H! by means of a cam 29 located within the inner periphery of the drum in a position to contact a surface 01 the body of the jerk line shoe at a predetermined and selected point during the rotation of the drum. The cam, when it contacts the jerk line shoe, disengages the hook portion thereof from the pins [9.

The structure just described is similar to the disclosure in this respect to my copending application, Serial No. 602,787, filed July 2, 1945, so that the automatic means for disengaging the jerk line shoe and the means for engaging it with the drum form no part of this invention, except as a part of the environment in which the improved control device for moving the jerk line shoe toward and away from the periphery of the drum is embodied.

This control means operates in association with the improved form of carrier for moving the jerk line shoe toward and away from the periphery of the drum.

By reference particularly to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the jerk line 2| extends into a pivoted carrier, which carrier is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve 22, the walls of which are flared at 23 to permit adjustment of the jerk line on the drum and to prevent undue wear on the jerk line at the point that it contacts the edge of the opening formed by the flared wall 23. The inner edge of the sleeve 22 has an arcuate flange 24 in its lower segment and an overhanging wall 25 in its upper segment.

The jerk line shoe is in the form shown in the drawing, from which it will be observed that it includes a hook section 26, on each side of which is a flange 21, the upper edge of the flange being angularly formed, as illustrated, to cooperate with the cam 23 for disengaging the shoe in the manner already described.

When the jerk line shoe is in the inoperative position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, it fits into the inner end of the carrier, which inner end, in effect, constitutes a socket for the body of the jerk line shoe. To maintain the shoe in this position, it is preferred to provide a leaf spring detent 28, which engages in a notch in the under face of the body of the jerk line shoe. This construction serves to clamp the outer end of the body of the shoe between the outer end of said leaf spring 28 and the overhanging wall 25. The weight of the jerk line, together with the detent device, serves to maintain the shoe in its socket during its inoperative adjustment.

The sleeve 22 has a hollow boss 29, which is mounted on a pivot pin 36 carried rigidly on a support in the housing of the jerk line drum and constitutes the hub of the carrier.

The jerk line and shoe carrier are maintained in their inoperative adjustment by a contractual spring 3i, one end of which is attached to an arm 32 integral with the hub of the carrier, and the other end of which is attached to an adjust- 4 able eye 33 having a screw socket connection 34 with a part of the cathead housing, so that the tension of the spring may be adjusted, if desired.

It will be understood that the jerk line shoe carrier is centrally located with respect to the periphery of the drum l6 so that, when the carrier is rocked on its pivot, the jerk line shoe will be carried into a position to be engaged by the pins IS.

The means for operating the brake shoe carrier to move it from its position of rest, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to its raised or operative position includes an arm 35 that is operated by an actuator. This arm is rigid with the pivoted hub section of the carrier and extends laterally toward the back of the jerk line drum housing, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The novel means for actuating the brake shoe carrier includes a tube 36, which is supported by the bottom wall of the housing on a pedestal 31, said tube extending parallel with the bottom wall of the housing for a distance and then curving upwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to a termination adjacent to the lower face of the arm 35.

A plunger 38 is mounted in the outer end of the tube 36 and abuts against the lower face of the arm 35. At the opposite end of the tube 36, and telescoping therewith, is a plunger rod 33. Between the inner head of the plunger rod 39 and the plunger 38 is a spiral spring 40, which resiliently transmits force from the plunger rod 39 to the plunger 38. The plunger 38, in turn. exerts force against the inner face of the arm 35 when the plunger rod 39 is moved inwardly to move the spring 40 sufficiently to overcome the bias of the spring 3|. The power of the springs 3| and 43 is so balanced that only slight compression of the spring 40 is sufficient to overcome the force of the spring 3|, so that as soon as the plunger rod 39 is moved inwardly of the tube 36 the carrier will be rocked radially inwardly.

The outer end of the plunger rod 39 is formed with a head 4| that slides in a hollow boss 42, formed integral with the jerk line drum housing; and between the inner face of the member 4| and the edge of the tube 36 is an expansion spring 43 that tends to move the plunger rod outwardly, that is, to the right as viewed in Fig. 2. The function of the spring 43 is to insure the return of the plunger rod 39 to inoperative position (Fig. 2).

A collar 44 attached to the outer face of the boss 42 embraces a reduced end of the plunger rod 39 and serves as an abutment to prevent the plunger rod 39 from moving outwardly beyond the adjustment shown in Fig. 2, from which it will be noted that the reduced outer extremity of the plunger rod 39 projects outwardly from the outer face of the collar 44. This represents the position assumed by the parts when the jerk line shoe is in its inoperative position.

A fluid motor of conventional type, comprising a cylinder 45 and a piston-actuated plunger 46, is mounted on a bracket 41 which is removably attached to the rod or bar M in such adjustment that the plunger 46 is in alignment with the plunger rod 39, so that the end thereof abuts against the outer surface of the piston plunger 46.

In the operation of the device, fluid pressure is admitted to the cylinder 45 through a conduit 48, which moves the piston plunger 46 outwardly from the cylinder, that is, to the left in Fig. 2 of the drawing, thereby moving the plunger rod 39 inwardly into the end of the tube 36, tensioning the spring 40 sumciently to exert force on the plunger 38 to overcome the force of the spring 3|, thereby rocking the jerk line shoe carrier radially inwardly toward the periphery of the jerk line drum.

It will be understood that when the shoe engages the pins 19 the jerk line is coupled with the drum, and, as the drum is constantly rotating, will be given a partial circumferential Winding upon the drum, until the jerk line shoe is disengaged in the manner heretofore described.

If the line bearing surface N5 of the drum is in the path of movement of the jerk line shoe, the spring 46 will be compressed sufficiently to store up suflicient resilient force to snap the shoe into the slot I! and to engage the shoe with the pin [9 when the rotary movement of the drum brings the slot I! into alignment with the jerk line shoe.

It will be noted that, since the actuating fluid motor is supported upon the abutment that prevents rotation of the jerk line drum housing, in the event of breakage or deflection of the bar rod I4, the actuator for the jerk line carrier will be disabled so that it will not be possible to operate the jerk line shoe into engagement with the jerk line drum unless the housing is maintained in proper adjustment. This will prevent engagement of the jerk line shoe with the drum unless the housing is properly maintained against movement.

When the shoe is disengaged, it will reseat in the carrier as a result of the tension on the jerk line, and the shoe will ride against the inner surface of the cathead housing. It will be understood that the operator normally releases pressure in the cylinder 45 as soon as the shoe is engaged with the drum, and, when the automatic release thereof occurs as described, the parts return to inoperative position as shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the actuating means for operating the jerk line shoe for engaging and disengaging it with the jerk line drum accomplishes the novel advantageous features heretofore set forth.

It should be understood that the structural features illustrated and described are merely to exemplify one embodiment of the invention, and I do not limit myself, therefore, to the exact construction except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In well drilling equipment the combination with a rotary shaft having a cathead drum mounted thereon and a jerk line equipped with a shoe for engagement with and disengagement from said drum, of a carrier for said shoe comprising a pivoted sleeve rockable on a fixed pivot toward and from said drum, and means for operating said carrier including a plunger mounted to be protracted and retracted by applied power, and a flexible connection between said plunger and said carrier constructed to rock said carrier in response to the reciprocation of said plunger.

2. In well drilling equipment the combination with a rotary shaft having a cathead drum mounted thereon and a jerk line equipped with a shoe for engagement with and disengagement from said drum, of a carrier for said shoe comprising a pivoted sleeve rockable on a fixed pivot toward and from said drum, and means for operating said carrier including a plunger mounted to be protracted and retracted by fluid power, and a flexible connection between said plunger and said carrier constructed to rock said carrier in response to the reciprocation of said plunger.

3. In well drilling equipment the combination with a rotary shaft having a cathead drum mounted thereon and a jerk line equipped with a shoe for engagement with and disengagement from said drum, of a carrier for said shoe comprising a pivoted sleeve rockable on a fixed pivot toward and from said drum, and means for operating said carrier including a plunger mounted to be protracted and retracted by fluid power, and a connection between said plunger and said carrie constructed to rock said carrier in response to the reciprocation of said plunger.

4. In well drilling equipment the combination with a rotary shaft having a cathead drum mounted thereon, a jerk line, a shoe attached to said jerk line, a coupling device carried by said drum for engagement with and disengagement from said shoe, of a carrier for said shoe having a socket end for receiving said shoe, means for pivotally supporting said carrier, and power means for operating said carrier to rock the same toward and away from said drum.

5. In well drilling equipment the combination with a rotary shaft having a cathead drum mounted thereon, a jerk line, a shoe attached to said jerk line, a coupling device carried by said drum for engagement with and disengagement from said shoe, of a carrier for said shoe having a socket end for receiving said shoe, a detent device for maintaining said shoe in said socket, means for pivotally supporting said carrier, and. power means for operating said carrier to rock the same toward and away from said drum.

JOHN H. SCHREIBER. 

